Proper English Ale (Best Bitter)

As vintage as vintage gets.

This 150 year-old best bitter recipe uses ingredients brought to the region by the United Empire Loyalists in the 1700s that are still grown locally today. The simple complexity of this brilliant, golden ale recaptures a time of shared purpose and honest reward.

Taste: Earthy and slightly floral on the nose with notes of Sauvignon blanc. A malty, biscuit and pie-crust body. Hints of hazelnut and caramel with a crisp, dry finish.

ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 28

Rediscovering long-lost ingredients.

When the Loyalists landed in what became Kingston back in 1784, they brought with them their own beer and brewing ingredients. Fast forward several hundred years when a local farmer discovered a variety of hop growing wild near his fields. After some investigation, our brewmaster realized this species was not native to the area, and that it had been brought to the region by the Loyalists who had farmed the hop as an ingredient for making their beer. We nicknamed it the “Loyalist Hop” and today, we’re the only brewer using it – it’s the signature ingredient in our Proper English Ale, a Loyalist’s beer through and through.

“It was so exciting to discover this heritage ingredient—what’s become our very own Loyalist Hop—and that we were actually able to use it to recreate this best bitter, our Proper English Ale.”
~ Trevor Lehoux, Brewmaster